This invention relates to improvements in skateboards, a popular entertainment product among young people.
Skateboards generally comprise a four-wheeled platform about two-and-a-half feet in length, the geometry of which lends itself to great maneuverability and even acrobatics when used by accomplished riders. Typically, there is a front and rear axle, each rotatably supporting a pair of low friction wheels laterally spaced a distance of six to eight inches. The axles may be mounted in a way to be slightly steerable, so that when the rider's weight is shifted laterally, the orientation of the axle may shift slightly to produce a desired steering effect. Furthermore, the platform may extend longitudinally beyond the front and rear axles, so that the overhanging portion, if weighted by the rider, can cause the wheels at the opposite end of the skateboard to lift off the ground. When this occurs, coupled with appropriate balancing and movement of the rider's feet, the skateborad can be made to pivot laterally about the wheels which remain in contact with the ground, thereby providing a desired steering action or even a complete reversal of board orientation while still traveling in the same direction.
The object of the present invention is to provide a modified skateboard which substantially increases the degree of maneuverability and the number of riding modes and types of actions that a skilled rider can perform on the board.